Everything bad in Jaehyun's life started when he left his parents to go to university. Coincidentally, that is also around the time he met Johnny, a gangly transferee from Chicago. Now, Jaehyun isn't saying that Johnny is the reason why bad things happen to him, because he thinks it in his head—all the time, repeatedly. In fact, it's kind of become Jaehyun's go-to excuse when anything remotely terrible happens to him. His laptop crashes, Johnny probably got a virus on it searching god knows what (probably ). Missed classes? Because Johnny lost his subway pass. Unfinished homework? All because Johnny dragged him out of the apartment and kept him out until the -crack of dawn.

So, to recap, everything bad is all Johnny's fault and Jaehyun desperately needs to get better friends. He keeps telling himself that, but does he really deserve friends who want him to pass all of his classes and not live like a hobo off the street? It's a solid maybe.

Jaehyun sighs and quietly stares out of the opening of the corridor to the dimly illuminated, bursting parking lot of the apartment complex. This tells the brunette that a) there's a lot of people he could yell for help but also b) it's 2 in the morning and anyone who would come down would only beat him up. Jaehyun squirms and calls Johnny's number for the sixth time in twenty minutes, at least that's what his phone tells him. It would just be easier for it to say that he's desperate though because he is. “I swear to god Johnny if you're still partying,” Jaehyun mutters bitterly unable to even think of a threat at the moment.

After the seventh ring Jaehyun hangs up. Really, he should have hung up at the fourth but he's desperate. The older male is such a mess of a human being that he doesn't even have a voice-mail set up.

“Oh god, I'm going to fail my communications class,” Jaehyun bemoans as he gently bangs his head against the vending machine, “all because of Johnny. I should have just eaten at the club but who knows how the heathens prepare food there,” he goes on, complaining to the vending machine that currently houses his arm.

He likes to think if the machine was sentient it would care.

The next person he calls is Taeyong. He called the blonde when he first got stuck after Johnny refused to answer his phone and threatened not to call him again, but what Taeyong fails to realize is that Jaehyun's given up on life months ago and wouldn't mind the sweet release of death.

“Jesus, Jaehyun, get your together,” is the very endearing sentence filled with concern (but mostly sleepiness) Taeyong greets him with. “I'm putting you on silent after this.”

Jaehyun puffs his cheeks and stares up longing at the bag of chips stuck in the machine. Okay, maybe the older man was right. “For your information I do have my '' together, thank you very much.”

He can practically hear the blonde's eyes roll on the other end.

“Do you still have your arm stuck in the vending machine?”

“...I feel like you already know the answer to that...”

“God help us if you actually get a degree in architecture. Your buildings are going to collapse.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jaehyun grumbles, “can you please come and help me? I'll do anything you say just get me out of here.”

“Jae, you already owe me like twenty favours, plus Taeil is going to be mad that I helped you.”

Taeil, crap, Jaehyun forgot about the taller boys annoying boyfriend who constantly wants to see him suffer. He really does believe the man is Satan reincarnate; that or a total sadist.

“Taeil is not the devil nor a sadist. He's just tired that you keep coming to me whenever you mess things up. You're gonna have to find a way out of this yourself.”

Oops, did he say that out loud?

Upon hearing the click Jaehyun stares blankly at his phone. Oh, so that's how it's going to be? Taeyong's just going to let him die by way of vending machine? Okay, no, he's overreacting. He slides his phone back into his pocket and tries to yank his arm again. It's been almost an hour since he's been stuck here, the first ten minutes were frantic calls and threats whispered into the air about Johnny, but slowly he's accepted his fate. Maybe it was partially his fault for thinking he could reach the chips, but he still blames Johnny for taking him out of the apartment because he needed a wing-man, stating that 'Ten is too cute' and 'Taeyong will just take all the attention'. Thinking back on it now, Jaehyun feels like he should have been a little insulted because he's a solid 10/10—did Johnny not see him as a threat?

“I hope the idiot has the worst hangover,” Jaehyun pouts childishly.

Just as he's thinking of ways to exact his revenge (deleting all his hook-up numbers, burning his clothes, dying his hair green) a sharp noise catches him off guard. Every muscle goes rigid as Jaehyun stares at the stairwell in anticipation.

He's heard horror stories of a ghost roaming the complex late at night (or early in the morning depending on how you saw it) but it might also be a cat. Which does nothing to help ease Jaehyun if he were honest because him and cats do not get along. He visibly relaxes though as an empty can rolls down the steps instead.

A few seconds later though a pair of feet come into view and Jaehyun slowly travels his eyes up legs that go on for days, raking over a slim build, until he's staring at a young man's surprised face. The first thing that Jaehyun thinks is the guys pretty with his wide eyes and slightly disheveled hair and oh god, were those bunnies on his pajamas? No, Jaehyun, now is not the time to think with your hormones.

“Hey, can you help me out here?”

The said bunny-clad stranger looks around the vacant space, “Me...?”

Okay, so either this guy was an idiot or just really tired. Jaehyun hopes it's the latter.

“Yes, you. No one else is here.”

The brunette's face scrunches briefly before he draws closer. “Well, sorry for being suspicious. It's not everyday someone gets stuck in a vending machine,” the man remarks with quirked brow, “well, not an adult at least.”

Great, another person to give him grief. Beggars can't be be choosers though and if Jaehyun acts fast he can at least get most of his godforsaken essay done. But first, he really, really needs to get his arm out of this goddamn vending machine.
 

“Listen, just help me out and I'll owe you one, yeah?”

The stranger still looks reluctant so Jaehyun keeps talking.

“I'm not a killer I swear. I'm a college student and my of a friend won't help me and I have a paper due tomorrow and I just wanted to eat some chips for less than 100 won,” he spouts off, not meaning to give the brunette a sob story but Jaehyun couldn't help it, he's been stuck here for an hour and he just now realizes just how craptastic his life is.

Totally Johnny's fault.

“Okay, okay, just don't cry,” the stranger begs, eyes wide as he kneels down and inspects the entrapped arm. Jaehyun blinks at the sudden invasion of personal space, a slow blush starting to creep up against his will. “Wow, you are really stuck,” the brunette says with slight awe.

Jaehyun goes against every bone in his body that wants to make a sarcastic comment.

“Yeah, so, what's your name?”

“Doyoung,” the man replies, still focused on trying to free Jaehyun's arm.

“I'm Jaehyun. I've never seen you around before, and I know everyone.” Doyoung suddenly stops and stares at Jaehyun with his wide eyes that he guesses are just natural. It's kind of cute but also border-line creepy.

“Wait, you're Jaehyun? I've heard stories about you, how you're always too loud, bringing in rowdy people, that one time where you streaked and-”

“Okay did the landlord tell you all of this!” Jaehyun shouts with abandon forgetting that it's early in the morning and he should not attempt to wake the dead. “He's always on my case! I swear, this one time I'm sure he just raised the rent because I didn't like some trot singer. He's such an annoying old man and is like always crabby. And I didn't streak, that was a total rumor he made up just because he's bitter and probably wasted his youth-”

“He's my grandfather,” Doyoung interrupts with crinkled eyes.

“And such a lovely man, please don't tell him I said this,” Jaehyun flushes. Doyoung flashes a blinding grin that reminds Jaehyun of the cartoon rabbits on the pajamas. Fitting.

“So, how old are you?”

Doyoung squints at the vending machine, “Twenty, what about you?”

Jaehyun's eyes widen slightly. That's rather young, he was half expecting Doyoung to still be in high-school. “Guess I should be calling you hyung then, I'm only nineteen.” This causes Doyoung's lips to curl slightly and Jaehyun starts to think this isn't the tiest thing to happen to him. Don't get him wrong, it's still up there, but it's not in the top five. “I guess our classes conflict than.”

Doyoung hums as he slowly backs away, “You know, for someone who was desperate just a few minutes ago, you're surprisingly calm right now.”

Jaehyun is a natural flirt, he can't help it. Well, he probably could but Doyoung doesn't seem like the type to kick a man when he's down, literally, so he winks and says, “That's before an angel came my way.”

Doyoung reacts like Jaehyun imagines, with a fierce blush and an unhinged jaw.

“Y-you, I can't—,” the older male's brain practically short circuits and Jaehyun enjoys the show greatly. But he soon remembers his laptop sitting on his desk and he should probably stop flirting because this is thirty percent of his grade.

“Kidding, don't be so red, hyung.” Doyoung splutters before huffing.

“Just for that I should leave you,” he threatens. Jaehyun rapidly shakes his head and waves his hands in protest. Doyoung just shakes his head and walks back up the stairs.

“W-Wait, hyung, hyung!” Jaehyun's shouts fall on deaf ears apparently as the brunette just disappears up the stair well. Jaehyun groans and hits his head repeatedly against the plastic window. He had it, he could taste sweet freedom but no, he had to go and mess it up. Curse his hormonal mind.

People say that the last stage of grief is acceptance, but Jaehyun's jumped from anger to guilt to acceptance and then back and forth between the two. He skips bargaining because even if he promised God he'd start going to church every Sunday he knows he wouldn't do it and if he didn't already have a guaranteed seat in one of the seven circles of Hell he sure would then. Jaehyun starts to calculate his possible score for communications if he didn't turn in the assignment in and what he would need to get on the next assignments in order to pass. Maybe he will just become a hobo.

“Good, you're still here,” a familiar voice interrupts. Jaehyun looks up at Doyoung with slight disdain but also relief.

“Yes, because I just stay here for fun.”

Doyoung 'tsks'. The brunette approaches the vending machine with something in his hand that Jaehyun can't quite make out in the darkness. A key, he assumes, as Doyoung fiddles with the lock and the vending machine miraculously opens. Doyoung goes to the other side and does something with the metal flap mechanism and suddenly Jaehyun is staring at his freed and sightly numb arm. Jaehyun almost cries out of sheer happiness.

“Thank you hyung, you're a saint,” he croaks out as he squishes the surprisingly waifish male in his arms. Doyoung yelps at the surprise attack but awkwardly pats Jaehyun's back in return.

“Just please don't get your arm stuck in the vending machine again.”

Jaehyun pulls back and grins, “No promises,” Doyoung glares, “Kidding, I'm kidding hyung. Besides, after this, I might not go near a vending machine ever again.”

“Oh, here are your chips.”

Passing the plastic bag of Doritos over, Jaehyun smiles. “Thanks, I almost forgot what with getting my arm back. I haven't eaten since lunch....”

“Wait, what? Please don't tell me this is your dinner,” Doyoung questions with slight disgust and much judgment. This time Jaehyun blushes. Maybe Taeyong was right, he really did need to get it together. “Oh my god, wait here.” For some reason Jaehyun does wait, perhaps for politeness sake but Doyoung is infinitely more interesting than that paper he has to do. It takes a couple of minutes, but Doyoung returns with a take-out container and passes it over to him. It's a little on the hot side but Jaehyun can't help but grin when he realizes it's actual food.

And that's how Jaehyun spends the next hour, eating on the stairwell as Doyoung talks animatedly beside him at three in the morning. When Jaehyun finally does finish his meal, he tries as smoothly as possible to ask for Doyoung's number in the guise that he needs more reliable people in his life—not necessarily a lie—because god knows Taeyong and Johnny would leave him for dead.

Whether Doyoung sees through this or not doesn't really matter because he smiles like it's not almost the crack of dawn and they didn't meet because Jaehyun is impatient and doesn't think things through.

“Okay, but next time you're treating me for food,” the rabbit-like brunette laughs.

Jaehyun just nods and grins stupidly, even when he's finally back in his apartment and tries to bs his way through the assignment due in five hours, because all he can think about is there's a next time. 

A/N: Moral of this story, sometimes Johnny brings something good but that doesn't stop Jaehyun from yelling the next day and making his hangover worse. Everyone's probably OOC but I hope you guys liked it! And please don't forget to comment if you do, thank you^^